Fluoride uptake in enamel and dentin surfaces exposed to a fluoride-containing amalgam in vitro. a proton microprobe analysis.

Proton microprobe analysis was used to determine the fluoride concentrations in enamel and dentin surfaces exposed to a fluoride-containing and a conventional amalgam in vitro. After seven weeks of exposure, a considerable fluoride uptake was demonstrated from the fluoride-containing amalgam. The fluoride deposition was greater in the dentin than in the enamel. The greatest fluoride concentrations in enamel surfaces, about 4000 ppm, were found in the outer 0.05 micrometers of the tissue. In the dentin the greatest concentrations, about 9000 ppm, were found at a depth of 11.5 micrometers. This study demonstrates the ability of the fluoride-containing amalgam to deposit fluoride into dental hard tissues.